Expanded Character Limits Established for Driver’s License & State ID Cards

HONOLULU — The state Department of Transportation working in cooperation with the county Departments of Motor Vehicles announces expanded character limits for Hawaii Driver’s Licenses and State Identification Cards. The change went into effect earlier this month to conform with new national standards.

Driver’s Licenses and State ID cards will now provide space for names up to a total of 120 characters with the breakdown as follows: 40 last name, 40 first name, 35 middle name, 5 suffix (ex. Jr. or Sr.).

The State of Hawaii’s enhanced requirements for Driver’s Licenses and State Identification Cards have been deemed as fully compliant with the Real ID Act of 2005, following a review and certification by the Department of Homeland Security.

New identification requirements to prove “Legal Presence,” confirming that a person is either a U.S. citizen or is legally authorized to be in the United States, for state-issued Driver’s Licenses took effect in Hawaii on March 5, 2012, and for State Identification Cards on January 2, 2013, to conform with the Real ID Act.